JAI JAI HANUMAN

Guess what we worked on yesterday morning?  Yup - Hanumanasana.  Small, experienced group, easy to monitor everyone as they move through the warm-up and then give the pose a go, moving to their full expression.

I believe I've said something about my love for the wall.  It came in very handy yesterday, again.  We used it for the dreaded thigh stretch (currently May's choice for the "30-Day Yoga Challenge" on Facebook), then supta padangusthasana with one foot pressing into the wall for stability, and then for the Hanumanasana work. Besides giving my back leg something stable to press into and hold it in place (my back leg will tend to go lots of places it shouldn't in this pose), I discovered on one of my last attempts that the wall also offers me a push-off to open the back leg in the pose a bit more. The opening of the back leg takes me further into the pose and is an action also sorely lacking for me (without a wall).

In Utah, bike rides and races are very common, I'm finding.  Those (bikes), hiking and climbing may account for a lot of the over-tight quadricep muscles in yoga classes here.  The dreaded thigh stretch is one of those love-hate (or hate-love) poses for participants in these activities (even for non-participants). We hate the thought of doing it, we hate getting into it (it is a challenge at first), and we especially hate the initial feeling of the stretch it gives the leg at the wall. But, after getting settled and taking 5 full breaths, the benefits of the pose become apparent and - upon releasing from the wall - there's an appreciation for the good the pose has to offer.  Isn't that often the case?

Now, about the class I filmed on Saturday? It (the filming) didn't happen. So disappointed to find that I had turned the camera on, set it all up, and when I pressed the "rec" button - it actually STOPPED the camera (that record button is a toggle - meaning one press on, one press off; same button). It was a good class and, the fact that John played and chanted "Jai Hanuman", and I don't have it recorded - what can I say. This is part of the process. Just record the next class.

We learned last night that Paul McCartney is coming to Utah - Wow! After reading MariaCristina's post about his performance in L.A., I am hoping we'll get tickets and go. I've always liked his work, and my husband was/is a HUGE Beatles (and post-Beatles) fan. But, I might not be so eager to make the effort to go see him, had I not read Maria's blog. The things we learn by reading about other peoples' experiences -- good stuff.

Clouding over here and trying to rain.  Off to take Wayne's class at 9:15, then some studio stuff and errands.

Hope you enjoy your day,